Indications emerged yesterday that the
ministerial committee that was set up to address challenges of cargo clearance
at the port may have been divided over what the final resolutions should be.
Insider sources confirmed to Shipping Position Daily yesterday
that the committee's meeting which held yesterday ended up in chaos due to
alleged insincerity on the part of some of the stakeholders.
Our source who pleaded anonymity confirmed
that the hot arguments which characterized the meeting almost led to
stakeholders exchanging blows.
Our source noted that part of the terms of
reference given to the committee is that it should “come up with a blue print
for a lasting solution to the lingering problem of port congestion".
He however said that unless the stakeholders
come to the table with sincerity of purpose, the port congestion may continue
even as the cargo throughput is projected to increase towards the end of the
year.
"There is so much insincerity on the
part of the operators, we almost exchanged blows at the meeting today, and
unless something is done, the congestion will continue because the committee
may end up a tea party just like the ones we had before it" he said.
Our correspondent however gathered that the
committee will end its seating today (Thursday) and that it is expected to
draft its resolution and submit same to
the minister of transport from where it will be forwarded to the President for
accent and thereafter becomes a working document.
Some of the terms of reference of the
committee which was obtained by our correspondent include; to verify issues
militating against speedy examination and scanning of containers, to identify
the factors responsible for the cause of delay in the clearance of cargoes in
the port.
Others are; to come up with modalities for
stemming of vessels to off-dock terminals with a view to reducing terminal
congestion, to harmonize off dock terminal charges with a view to reducing the
cost of delivering a container.
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